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12 new police officers to pound pavement rather than drive cruisers

Shiny new badges sit ready to be pinned on as new Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Officers are sworn in Friday during a ceremony held at the Savannah Civic Center.

Richard Burkhart

Twelve new Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Officers are sworn in Friday during a ceremony held at the Savannah Civic Center.

Richard Burkhart

A new Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Officer fixes her badge after being pinned Friday during a swearing-in ceremony held at the Savannah Civic Center.

Richard Burkhart

Sgt. Clayton Cortez pins a badge on a new officer Kyle Suddath Friday during a swearing-in ceremony held at the Savannah Civic Center.

Legless police officers are the kind that never get out of their police cruisers - they zip from one crime scene to another and don't get to know their community, said Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Chief Michael Berkow.

That's why SCMPD's newest officers - six men and six women who were sworn in Friday - won't ride in cars during their first month on the job.

"The best way to learn a city is from the front seat of a police cars. But it is also one of the worst ways to learn a community. You only go to places where there are problems," Berkow said. "We are going to change that."

The 12 new police officers will walk beats all over SCMPD's jurisdiction during their first four weeks.

"You will be exercising not just your feet but your most potent weapon: your mouth," Berkow said to the new officers. "We want you to communicate with everyone.

"We want you to learn our city from the ground before jumping into that police car and racing from call to call."

Berkow calls it "personalized policing," and so far the concept is earning praise.

"It's an excellent idea," said First District Alderman Van Johnson.

"I think it's critical. It's the ultimate on-the-job training. I wish we could expand it to include veteran officers as well."

One new officer, a Savannah native, said she hopes to earn credibility while walking neighborhoods.

"It's important for us to gain their trust," said Officer Erin German, 22. "In situations where we need information, it will be easier for them to communicate with us."

The time on foot patrols can act as extra training, said Lt. Joy Gellatly, commander of SCMPD's training unit.

Those four weeks come in addition to 11 weeks of state training and five weeks of training in Savannah.

All that preparation, Gellatly said, helps the department get the best officers.

"It's like a funnel," she said. "You start out with a big group. You give them a test, and that phases out some. And then the physical-abilities test might phase out others. ... We end up with the cream of the crop. Those are the ones we want."

Berkow said the department hires fewer than one-tenth of all applicants. The chief said he has conducted an up-close view of the potential hires. He has spent part of his workday over the last three weeks pursuing his Georgia Peace Officer's Certification.

"Today we were at the firing range," Berkow said.

"There were people today who didn't qualify. They turned in their guns and went home.

"These (new officers) passed every step of the way. That's a reflection on them."